From scarves to luggage, motifs are all over the map

Monday

Jun 23, 2014 at 12:01 AMJun 23, 2014 at 11:03 AM

W??ith the rise of the GPS, the old-fashioned map has been reduced to an application. Yet nothing seems to prove more attractive to a die-hard traveler (except maybe a boarding pass) than an atlas or a nautical chart. Maps represent a break from the routine, the romance of the journey and the road yet traveled.

W??ith the rise of the GPS, the old-fashioned map has been reduced to an application.

Yet nothing seems to prove more attractive to a die-hard traveler (except maybe a boarding pass) than an atlas or a nautical chart.

Maps represent a break from the routine, the romance of the journey and the road yet traveled.

The inherent design element also evokes a built-in emotional response that retailers and manufacturers can’t resist.

They have translated the natural aesthetic of oceans and continents crisscrossed by straight and squiggly lines into fashionable motifs that cover everything from sheets and wallpaper to shoes, clothing and furniture.

Here are a few to help you chart a stylish course:

• Furniture manufacturer Theodore Alexander has two side tables that will get your Magellan going, and a Thomas Howard table has a map painted on the underside of the top that is reflected in the mirrored base below. It makes an Old World-meets-New World statement.

“We were inspired by the great mapmakers and travelers of the past,” said Russell Towner, president of Theodore Alexander USA.

“Stylistically fascinating, these statement pieces are evocative of the romance of travel.”

• Signals.com, an Ohio company, has a bangle, a poncho and two types of world-map scarves for draping yourself in cartographic splendor.

• MyDrobe features a swimsuit with a map of the world by Filles a Papa. For more fun fashion finds, visit www.mydrobe.com.

• Hermes, the French luxury purveyor, has created map scarves for years; the latest is Le Voyage de Pytheas ($435).

“All our products are custom-designed per area. We use nautical charts and topographic maps, so we can do any town, lake, river, mountain, city, actual address — it’s endless,” company owner Heather Jernegan said. Visit www.notfornavigation.com.

• Another Massachusetts company that has mapped out its product line is Mad Bay Pillows. Purses, totes and more can be found at www.madbaydesigns.com.

• Heys International, a Canadian company whose wares are available at www. heys.ca, has made the most obvious connection between maps and travel by putting it on hard-sided luggage. Each of the three pieces in its Journey spinner set has a different section of the planet emblazoned on it.

• For more light on the subject, Shiner International’s hanging Globe lamps come in an antique look or the standard schoolroom version in three sizes.

• Oomph, known for its lacquers, has the Fenwick Chart Table in 16 colors. It retails for $2,075 and can be made with any nautical chart on top.

• The new Chappy Wrap blanket in a cotton jacquard weave ($120) can be ordered at www.chappywrap.com.

• If time is of the essence, head to Urban Outfitters for its Around the World leather watch for $34. The face shows India and surrounding countries. It’s available at www.urbanoutfitters.com.